Fence or railing.



m. 666,236. atentad Ian, l5, I901.

p C. F. PORTER &. A. C. BOTH. FENCE 0B BAILING.

(Application filed Sept. 12, 1 900.) (N o M n d a l Y Nunms PETERS 00,.Pumn-umo wAsmaGlolL a c.

llNrrn STATES ATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. PORTER AND ADOLPH O. BOTH, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

FENCE OR RAILING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,236, dated January15, 1901.

Application filed September 12, 1900- Serial No. 29,856. (No model.)

To all whOm it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES F. PORTER and ADOLPH O. BOTH, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Portland, county of Cumberland, and Stateof Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fences orRailings, of which the following is a specification.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to fences or railings,and more particularly to such structures wherein the top rail, rod, orpipe is supported on suitable posts held either in the soil or on asupporting-base. In this class of structure as now commonly employed thesupporting post, usually of metal, has been surmounted by a T-castinghaving its projecting portions provided with screw-threads either on theinterior or exterior thereof. The top rail for connecting the posts bymeans of the T-heads referred to has been usually screw-threaded onto orinto the T-head, or the ends of the top rail have been connected to theT-casting by other end-connecting means. In erecting a fence or rail bythis old form of structure much difficulty has been experienced inproperly spacing the posts, as if such posts are not spaced accuratelyto conform to the length of rail, pipe, or rod extending between theadjacent posts much cutting of the rail, pipe, or rod is necessary toadjust the same to the distance between the posts, or if such cutting isnot done then the posts require resetting, else the entire structure ismore or less drawn out of symmetrical condition. To avoid the fieldworkincident to this cutting or resetting of the posts, it has been theusual practice heretofore to assemble together the entire structure andthen lift it bodily into place. In this old form of structure alsoaccuracy of adjustment between the length of rod-sections and distancebetween posts has been necessary, thereby entailing much additionallabor and expense.

It is the object of our invention to overcome these objections and toproduce a fence or hand-railing which shall be simple in construction,readily and easily put together in the field without reference toadjustments between the length of rail-sections and the distance betweenposts, and which, moreover, may be readily assembled by an inexperienced workman and upona supportingbase or soil of uneven andirregular surface.

To these ends our invention consists, primarily, of a post havingconnected to the top thereof a flanged metal socket, to said flange ofwhich is secured means for clamping the rail to the flanged metalsocket, all as will hereinafter be more fully described, and definitelypointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a post having our inventionapplied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of thetop of said post, showing the manner of connection between the top railand the post. Fig. 3 is a section on line a; 00 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 isa side elevation, partly in section, of a slightly-modified form of ourinvention.

In the drawings, A represents a metal post provided at its upper end,preferably, with a screw-thread a, which in the form of constructionshown are external to the post A,alrhough it is quite'evident that thislocation of the screw-thread is not essential. Surmounting the post isthe socket-piece D, provided, preferably,with internal screw-threadsb,adapted for connection with the external screw-threads upon the end ofthe post A. Projecting upward from the socket-piece B is a flange B,preferably, though not necessarily, central of the socket-piece. Whilewe have shown a screw-thread connection between the top of the post andthe socket-piece, it is evident, of course, that any suitable means maybe employed for connecting the socket-piece to the post, and while alsowe have preferably shown the flange B extending upward from the end ofthe socket-piece and centrally thereof it is of course within the scopeof my invention to vary this arrangement,the essentials of which shallbe that the socket-piece shall have a reliable connection with the topof the post and that the flange, preferably formed integral with thesocket-piece, shall extend upward therefrom.

Disposed on the opposite sides of the flange B are the clamping-plates DD,the upper ends 61 of which are turned in a form to [it and properlygrasp the rail R, which is usually a metal tube or rod, While the lowerportions of such clamping-plates D are made straight and extend to nearthe upper top surface of the socket-piece B. A suitable bolt 0, having ahead a, is passed through perforations in the flange B and the arms D Dof the clamping-plates, and by means of the nut c on the screw-threadedend 0 of the bolt the said clamping-plates D are forcibly drawntogether, so as to clamp between their upper ends cl the pipe or rod R,all as will be quite obvious.

It will be noticed in Fig. 3 that we have preferably formed the flange Bwith a contracted upper end I) and that the extreme lower ends of thearms D of the clampingplates D have a projection (1 which bites againstthe lower end of the flange B when the nut c is screwed up to draw theclamping-plates around the tube or rod R. It will also be noticed thatthe extreme upper ends of the arms D have like biting projections ddisposed, preferably, above the center of the tube or rod R, so as bytheir clamping action to draw the said rod or tube firmly down into itsseat between the clamping-arms. While we have shown the flange B ascontracted at its upper end at b and the clamping-jaws each providedwith the projections 01 as the preferred embodiment of our invention, itis to be understood that these specific features of structure are notessential, it being only necessary that the clamping-jaws D shall beheld to the flange B of the socket-piece by any suitable form ofclamping means, to thereby draw the upper ends of the clamping-jaws Dfirmly against the rod or pipe R to hold the same securelyin the socketthus formed. It is not necessary either that the rod or pipe R shall becircular in cross-section, although such form is embodied in thepreferred construction illustrated. The upper ends of the clamping-jawsE in any event conform substantially to the exterior contour of the pipeor rod.

From the construction thus described it will be noted that thesocket-piece B can be readily secured to the upper end of the post A byany suitable form of connecting means and that by manipulation of thenut c the clamping-plates D can be drawn upon or released from the rodor bar R, forming the upper rail of the fence or railing, thusconnecting or disconnecting it readily from the flange B of thesocket-piece, without reference to the length of the different sectionsof pipe or rod. Where the soil or supporting-base for the post A isirregular in contour or surface, the construction described permits therod or pipe R to be connected readily to the post, notwithstanding thefact that the tops of the said posts are on slightly-different levels.

In Fig. 4 we have shown a slight modification of the clamping-plateswherein the upper ends h are suitably offset at an angle from the lowerportion H, and this form of clamping-plate may be advantageouslyemployed when the fence or rail R is to be given a permanent and steepinclination, as shown in Fig. 4. The end of the pipe or rod R is usuallyclosed by a knob or closure R.

Having described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In a fence structure, the combination of a post, a socket-piece onthe end of said post and rigidly connected thereto to form a fixedsupporting structure, said socket-piece having a flange, flattened asrespects the socketpiece, and projecting from the part thereof on theend of the post, rigid clamping-plates disposed on opposite sides of theflange, a rail disposed between the clamping-plates and means to clampsaid plates to the flange and also to the rail, whereby rails of varyinglengths may be employed and cutting thereof between posts be avoided insetting up the fence.

2. In a fence structure, the combination of a post, a socket-piececonforming to the shape of and rigidly connected to the top portion ofthe post to form a fixed supporting structure, said socket-piece havinga flange projecting centrally therefrom, clamping-plates disposed onopposite sides of the said flange, a rail disposed between the upperends of the clamping-plates, the said upper ends of the clamping-platesconforming substantially to the contour of the rail and having bitingengagement therewith.

3. In a fence structure, thecombination of a post, a socket-piece havinga screw-thread connection with said post and provided with a flangeprojecting upwardly therefrom, clamping-plates disposed on oppositesides of said flange, means for clamping the said plates to the flange,and a rail disposed between the upper ends of the clamping-plates inplane of the said upwardly-projecting flange, the said ends of theclamping-plates conforming substantially to the contour of the rail.

4. In a fence structure, the combination of a rail and post and meansconnecting them, said means comprising a socket-piece having an internalscrew-thread adapted to engage external threads on the top of the post,a flange projecting from said socket piece, clamping-plates, disposed onopposite sides of the flange and having ends projecting above saidflange and conforming substantially to the contour of the rail, and aclamping-bolt for clamping the plates to the flange and the upper endsaround the rail, said plates having biting projections at their upperends.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. PORTER. ADOLPH O. BOTH. Witnesses:

WALTER G. Loan, CHARLES C. MANNING.

